Uruguay humanitarian airlift, Venezuela earthquake relief, Hercules aircraft, medical supplies, powdered milk, Uruguayan Air Force, Caracas

First Uruguayan Air Force flight delivers 15 tons of relief supplies as part of a mission expected to transport more than 60 tons.

A Uruguayan Air Force Hercules aircraft arrived in Venezuela on Sunday carrying the first shipment of humanitarian aid from Uruguay, launching a multi-flight operation to deliver more than 60 tons of donated supplies following the earthquake.

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The first airlift transported 15 tons of humanitarian assistance collected in Uruguay, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The shipment included more than 7.5 tons of medical supplies, more than 2 tons of personal hygiene products, 3.5 tons of powdered milk, and 1.5 tons of rescue equipment, including mats and tents, among other items.

Ya se descargan en Venezuela las 15 toneladas de insumos médicos, material de higiene, leche en polvo y suplemento alimenticio donados en Uruguay pic.twitter.com/VhNrSVYC4b

— Cancillería Uruguay 🇺🇾 (@CancilleriaUy) July 5, 2026

Mission commander Colonel Martín Campoamor told EFE that the aircraft would return to Montevideo immediately after unloading because it could not remain in Caracas. The flight made a refueling stop in Manaus and took about 24 hours to complete.

Due to the duration of the mission, the aircraft operated with a reinforced crew of 12 personnel. Once it returns to Montevideo, another crew will prepare the second flight to Caracas, which is expected to depart on Wednesday.

“What matters most is time. The priority is to deliver the aid,” Campoamor said.

Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin said the country’s organized civil society had achieved “an extraordinary result” by collecting enough donations to fully load the aircraft.

“I believe this earthquake moved the world,” Lubetkin said. He added that although Uruguay was unable to respond immediately because it had no experience dealing with earthquakes, “this first plane leaving now is leaving to help rebuild.”

Pedro Antonio Sassone, head of the Consular Section of the Venezuelan Embassy in Uruguay, said the next phase would focus on transporting more than 40 additional tons of donated food and medicines.

“The humanitarian aid our country has received gives hope that the Venezuelan people will move forward,” Sassone said.

Uruguayan authorities expect additional flights in the coming days to complete the delivery of more than 60 tons of humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.